Gender equality in China, from birth ratio to politics and unpaid care work, still has a long way to go: report

Chinese government report published by the UN Population Fund finds business leadership and politics remain heavily skewed towards men

Gender disparity in education continues to be far higher in rural areas

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In 2017 in China, there were nearly 112 male births for every 100 female births. Gender disparity shows up in other ways throughout a woman’s life, from education to work opportunities to unpaid care, according to a report by the Chinese government. (Xinhua/Wang Quanchao)

Published: 6:00pm, 23 Aug 2020Updated: 11:32am, 1 Sep 2020

From a biased sex ratio at birth to low representation of women in leadership positions, women in China are still at a great disadvantage in many areas, according to a new report by the Chinese government.

While most of the unpaid work is done by women, men still dominate important positions in the political system, top academies and judicial systems, according to the report, “Women and Men in China, Facts and Figures 2019”.

Development of women in China had “reached a brand new level”, but it was still an “arduous” task because of factors relating to economic growth, historical and cultural reasons, said the report, published on the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) website this week.

It was issued by the National Bureau of Statistics of China and is its sixth report on the theme since 1995. The UNFPA provided technical and financial support.

The ratio of boys to girls at birth, a reflection of sex preference, remained high. There were nearly 112 boys born for every 100 girls in 2017, according to the report.

The natural ratio in this regard is often considered to be around 105 boys for every 100 girls, according to the World Health Organisation.

In 2015, a year after China allowed a second child for some couples, the sex ratio for the second child was over 113 boys for every 100 girls. When it comes to the third child, whose parents need to pay a social support fee as punishment, the ratio was over 148.